Chapter 12 #2
“Yes, the issue. The problem. His problem to be exact because he for sure told me that he wasn’t going anywhere.”
“And how do you feel about that?”
“At first, I was uncomfortable for obvious reasons, but honestly, I find comfort in it. I feel like he’s in this.”
“Good, then I’m excited about you making me a grandfather again. Hopefully, you both give me a little pie-faced baby girl with your attitude.”
“My attitude. Dad really?” I tilted my head to the side just looking at him.
“Yes, exactly yours. I feel like you need to be faced with what I deal with.”
I busted up laughing because of how serious he was.
I wasn’t that bad, at least I don’t think I was, but at the same time I wasn’t the one who had to deal with my attitude.
Everyone around me did. I guess that’s why Knoxx always told me I had a fucked up attitude when I wanted to, but I always waved him off.
Shit, if I actually did have a baby girl, I’d know exactly how it felt to be on the other side of it, but then again maybe not.
She could come out with her father’s attitude… Look at me thinking about all of this.
After spending a while at my father’s house talking to him, I made my way back to North’s place.
From the moment I walked in the door he was in my face.
After informing me that Ssiah was knocked out he dragged me upstairs to his closet.
He claimed that he had something to show me.
I didn’t know what it was, but when he dragged me into the bedroom I could’ve guessed.
I would’ve guessed wrong because we went through the bedroom to his closet.
When we walked in I was thrown for a loop.
One side of the closet was still stuffed to capacity while the other was completely empty.
As a matter of fact most of the closet was cleaned out.
After inspecting the space I looked over at him and the expression on his face was almost like that of a child.
He looked vulnerable yet serious. It’s almost like he wanted me to read his mind.
“Nooorrrtthh.” I allowed his name to take longer to drag from my lips. That was my way of begging him to use his words without asking.
“I told you I wanted this. Now, I’m showing you.
I want you and Messiah to move in here fully with me and Niema.
Shit I know I told you that this was only temporary and that when the city cooled down you could go back, but I done fucked around and got too used to having y’all here. Shit, me and Niema both have.”
I just looked at him. North didn’t like the feeling talk, but when he did talk about his feelings the shit was beautiful. He was probably the only man to ever have me melting on his every word, but I swear I wasn’t gonna tell him that. I was about to respond when I heard the doorbell.
“You expecting somebody?” he asked seconds after it rang for the second time.
I shook my head no.
“Stay here, this conversation isn’t over.” He walked out of the bedroom to go see who was at the door.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” What he didn’t realize was that I was right behind him because I too wanted to know who the hell was at the door unannounced.
Instead of going to the door, I went to the kitchen.
In the time that I had been here one thing I had fallen completely in love with was this massive ass kitchen.
It was freaking beautiful and a chef’s dream.
Of course I wasn’t a chef, but I liked to experiment in the kitchen when warranted.
Just like tonight, I planned to make stuffed chicken breast for dinner.
We’d see how that went though, because if I didn’t get a nap then I wasn’t cooking anything.
Curiosity eventually got the best of me, so before I knew it I was walking toward the front door. I got to it just in time to hear a woman having a fit.
“Your woman, are you serious, North? You’re really moving lik—”
“Toya, you act like I owe you an explanation. I haven’t fucked with you in months and even before then it was never like that with us.”
“Years, North. I was at your beck and call for years and you treated me like I was some floozy. Who is she? Who is the bitch who has you thinking that you’re going to leave me alone? I hope it isn’t the girl from the candle shop.”
“Who it is doesn’t matter and stop calling her out of her fucking name. I moved on and you should do the same. Our arrangement doesn’t work for me anymore. You can bounce, Toy.”
Instead of staying behind the door and continuing to listen, I decided to step in the doorway.
She was putting on a show and calling me out of my name.
I was wondering if she’d do that same thing with me looking her stupid ass in her face.
I had probably been standing there for thirty seconds when she turned around and looked directly at me.
We locked eyes momentarily, before I looked away.
My eyes landed on North. How in the hell was he asking me to move on when he had this on his doorstep? Was he trying to catch me a case?
Namari
I laughed at the story that my brother was telling me. Apparently Toya’s horse face ass had showed up at his crib yesterday. He was pissed because he claimed that Ommy gave him the silent treatment the whole rest of the night.
“I didn’t know what the fuck I did, then this morning before she left for work she told my ass that I was too accessible. What the fuck does that even mean?” he had his face screwed up and he was sipping from a glass of what I assumed to be 1942.
“Exactly what the fuck my sister said. If Toya was able to get through the gates to the front door how many other bitches can?”
He looked at me for a moment before he nodded his head. “Why didn’t she just fucking say that? Why do women gotta be so fucking difficult?”
“Because they’re women.” I shook my head and gave him the duh face.
He reached for the phone and dialed a number, before putting it to his ear. “Shit would’ve been easier had she just asked me to change the fucking access code not go fucking mute for the rest of the night and wake up dropping fucking Blue’s Clues.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at how disgruntled he was.
I was about to say some slick shit to him, but my phone started ringing in my lap.
When I glanced down at the screen I saw that it was Kasey.
I hadn’t kicked it with my boy in a minute.
Anytime I did pull up it was to his crib and only for a few moments.
It was nothing against him, but everything against everything that took place on that block.
Nah, I wasn’t scared or anything like that.
I just believed in counting your lucky stars and never making the same mistake twice.
A nigga caught me lacking and thank God I didn’t lose Surah, but the fact that I could’ve was too much to bear.
The brain was a dark ass place and every so often I got lost in it.
I kept finding myself buried under all the what ifs that plagued my mind on a daily basis.
“What’s good Kasey?”
“I got something you might wanna hear. It’s about that shit that happened a few months back, bro.”
As soon as he said that I knew exactly what he was talking about and my interests were piqued.
I had already told him to let me know if he found out who pulled that shooting before I did.
He was in the streets more than me, so I knew there was a possibility that he’d know something before me.
The thing is my patience has only gotten me so far because of North.
North knew I wanted to blow this shit down and not give a fuck who got chopped down in the process, but the consequences would be too much to bear.
Hot streets meant no money was being made, so I knew I had to be patient and move at my own pace with this.
“Where are you?” I asked.
“On my way to my grandmother’s place.”
“Bet. I’m on my way there.” After I hung up with him, I looked up and locked eyes with my brother.
“On your way where?” he had just hung up his office phone and now he was all in my shit.
“To go see what this is Kasey has to tell me. Now, what was all that about.”
“Tell you about what? And I changed the fucking entry code to the house gate. Niggas don’t feel like going home to an attitude or even having one prolonged.”
I chuckled, before standing to my feet and getting ready to go. “You’re just a regular old family man at this point, bro’.”
“And.”
“And nothing. I respect it. I fuck with the fact that you’re finally growing your grown ass up. It’s about time.” I clapped.
“Yo, fuck you. Now what the fuck is Kasey supposed to be telling you?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know, nigga. I'm still standing here in front of you.” By the time I put my coat on he was giving me that parent look. I just knew he wanted to give me an earful, but he didn’t.
“Be the fuck careful and make sure you keep your eyes open.”
“Anything else pops?” I laughed and walked out of the door before he offered to ride with me. Don’t get me wrong I loved my brother, but the nigga was overbearing as fuck and that shit got worse ever since everything happened.
The ride to Kasey’s grandmother’s crib was fairly quick. By the time I pulled up Surah was on my line mad because I let her sleep instead of waking her up this morning before I left.
“I mean you could have at least woke me up, Namari.”
“And why would I have done that? You needed rest and need I remind you that your lil’ ass has been hopping on the dick like a fucking jack rabbit. As a matter of fucking fact why don’t you thank a nigga for the dick and have a hot ass meal ready when I walk in the door.”
She laughed. “Yeah, and while I’m at it let me go back to the fifties and get my slippers. Do you need anything else?”
“You probably don’t even wanna go back that far. With that mouth you would’ve fucked around and found yourself in some trouble.”